In Vikings' 'monster,' a reason for Packers to worry

Green Bay — One year ago, they shut him down. Adrian Peterson was swarmed, contained and practically invisible in a 45-7 Packers’ laugher.

“Hey,” defensive coordinator Dom Capers said, “we did it here last year. The guy had 50-some yards against us here last year.”

True. But that was with Clay Matthews, with Charles Woodson, with Desmond Bishop, with C.J. Wilson. In this pivotal NFC North meeting Sunday at Lambeau Field, the timing of Green Bay's latest injury couldn't be worse. For all the sacks and flexing and Fathead commercials, Matthews may be most valuable to the Packers stopping the run. Bishop (hamstring) has been out all year. Woodson (collarbone) remains sidelined.

And now Wilson --- a 6-foot-3, 290-pound bull of a defensive end --- is out with a knee sprain.

The Vikings’ offense will certainly be handicapped by the loss of wide receiver Percy Harvin (ankle), officially ruled out by the team on Saturday. Yet in Peterson, the Vikings more than fighter’s chance Sunday. A division game that figured to be so lopsided a while back is no gimmie.

“He’s a rare guy. He attacks tacklers,” Capers said. “He’s not going to wait for them to come tackle—he attacks them. He’s always seeking contact. You see him on the sideline, he’s not going to run out of bounds.”

Dating back to Arian Foster’s dud of a game on Oct. 14 — 29 yards on 17 carries — the Packers’ run defense has been solid. That is, until last weekend. Ahmad Bradshaw and Andre Brown combined for 122 yards on 23 carries. And that doesn’t count Bradshaw’s 59-yard reception on a screen pass that dusted off memories of LaGarrette Blount’s infamous touchdown run last season.

The missed tackles were back. And Green Bay clearly missed Matthews against one of the NFL’s better backs.

“That guy’s a physical runner now,” Capers said of Bradshaw. “I’ve watched him all week last week breaking tackles. And we’re right back to playing one of the best in the league this week. So we’re going to have to tackle and we’re going to have to get more than one or two people there to the ball.”

Defensive end Mike Neal will be one player the Packers are counting on with Wilson out. This week, Neal agreed that Peterson is a future Hall of Famer, adding that when he watches film of Peterson, “it looks like a highlight reel."

“He’s a monster,” Neal said. “There isn’t any other way to put it. The kid can run the football. When you come into these games, you understand that. He’s going to run the football. He’s going to break big runs. You just have to gang tackle him.”

The game plan is simple for the Packers.

Last season, the Packers raced to 17-0 halftime lead and Peterson only had four carries in the second half. That's the kind of game Capers wants. Ponder may have taken a step forward, but this is still an offense starving for playmakers on the perimeter. Green Bay will likely flood the line of scrimmage as much as possible and try to make Minnesota one-dimensional.

If Bryan Bulaga's injury is testing the offense, the loss of Matthews is testing the defense. Green Bay may miss the outside linebacker against the run more than anything.

“Let’s face it now, he’s one of the best players in the league,” Capers said. “I don’t know if he plays the pass any better than he plays the run. He’s an explosive player. But we’re going to count on Erik Walden and Dezman Moses. Those guys have to play good for us. I think they will play good for us.”

Under Mike McCarthy, the pendulum typically swings back in Green Bay's favor after losses. He hasn't lost back-to-back games since December 2010, and it could be argued that second defeat at New England actually helped rejuvenate a Super Bowl run.

At home, Green Bay has been better against Peterson, too. But the Packers' defense is still dealing with injuries. And fresh off major knee surgery, Peterson is still seeking contact.

“He’s not one of those backs that’s looking to get hit,” safety Morgan Burnett said. “He’s looking to deliver the blow, and not just with his power. He has good speed, good vision and he’s liable to find little holes to make a cut.

“We have to finish all four quarters, play consistent. You’re going to face adversity through the course of a game. We’ll have to overcome that."

About Tyler Dunne

Tyler Dunne covers the Green Bay Packers. He has been on the beat since 2011, winning awards with the Pro Football Writers of America and Milwaukee Press Club.